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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stem — to come from
  7. spring — the season
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. rash — a series
  18. rock — music
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. spring — a coil
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com